The Council for Responsible Sport was formed in September of 2007 to develop an independent, comprehensive certification for sustainable athletic events. By defining realistic objectives and providing a framework for achieving them, the Council enables event directors to incorporate environmental and social responsibility into their events while informing consumers which events adhere to these standards.

The Problem
Two fundamental issues exist in the way sporting events are currently produced. The first is that they are inherently wasteful – a pastime activity practiced by large numbers of people has the potential for leaving behind a considerable footprint. Second, no significant incentives exist to encourage event producers to minimize this impact. Consider the 2007 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii as an example. The race attracted 1,787 participants from across the globe – only 68 were from the state of Hawaii – who traveled a combined 18,312,992 miles to the event. This translates into the equivalent of 10,853 metric tons of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere – the same amount produced by powering and heating 972 average American homes for one year.

The Solution
A growing number of sporting events are taking steps to mitigate these harmful environmental effects. The Council for Responsible Sport legitimizes these efforts and creates an environment where market forces (i.e. consumer demand) can produce tangible incentive for event directors. The mechanism for identifying responsibly-produced events is a public certification based on known best practices.

Throughout 2008, the Council for Responsible Sport conducted a pilot study to assess the state of sporting event production in terms of environmental and social sustainability. This paper summarizes the findings of this study, including individual case studies of each participating event. The knowledge gained from the pilot program shape the Council’s certification process and criteria for 2009, which will be open to all interested mass participation sporting events.

Major findings of the pilot study include:

•    The sporting event industry has a need for the verification of “green” marketing claims.
•    Creative, realistic, environmentally-minded solutions exist for common event production tasks.
•    Incorporating environmental and social considerations into an event does not necessarily translate into steeper production costs.
•    A number of events across the country are making significant strides toward “zero waste” and carbon neutrality.
•    There is a willingness by participants to accept environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional materials, products, and methods.
•    Responsible event production opportunities exist regardless of event size or geographic location.
•    With proper planning, producing a new event responsibly can be just as easy as greening an existing event.

ReSport Certification Standard
Modeled off the LEED standards administered by the US Green Building Council, standards set forth by the Council for Responsible Sport reward events undertaking initiatives in five different categories of environmental and social sustainability. Specific, measurable credits can be earned in areas of waste, climate, equipment and materials, community and outreach, and health promotion. In addition to providing incentive, the ReSport Standards also serve as a roadmap for events interested in developing a long-term sustainability strategy.

Best Practices
A comprehensive evaluation of participating pilot program events exposed a set of best practices for furthering the tenets of responsible production. Events were far more likely to reach their sustainability goals if they effectively engaged participants, integrated their chosen green initiatives into multiple facets of the event production process, exercised creativity, and identified ways that responsible event production could legitimately reduce their bottom line.

As a result of implementing these practices, events in the ReSport Pilot Program:

•    offset 598 metric tons of generated CO2, equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 15,332 tree seedlings grown for 10 years;
•    directly engaged 35,960 participants with a message of environmental and social responsibility; and
•    minimized landfill waste to levels below 1 pound per participant.
o    Marin County Triathlon generated 0.07 lbs/participant
o    Keuka Lake Triathlon generated 0.34 lbs/participant
o    ING Hartford Marathon generated 0.41 lbs/participant
o    Urban Epic generated 0.42 lbs/participant

Moving Forward
Sporting events are just beginning to lessen their environmental footprint. But the potential for adopted practices to effect widespread, societal change is vast – sport has the unique ability to incite passion, reach across social and economic classes, and affect behaviors in both those who participate and those who watch from the sidelines.

Certification is a mechanism for promoting less harmful methods and materials. By identifying responsibly-produced events through a common set of standards, marketplace differentiation can occur and consumers can exercise choice. Over time, this model encourages a fundamental shift in the ways we practice sport.